Interactive media presentation services enable consumers to be more closely involved in the media consumption experience. In general, interactive media presentation services enable two-way communication with a consumer location (e.g., a household or place of business). For example, interactive media presentation services enable a consumer to request information from and to submit information to an interactive media distribution network. One implementation of an interactive media presentation service comprises an Internet protocol (IP) television (IPTV) service.
IPTV services provide media content over a broadband network. In general, an IPTV provider receives media content from media content creators. The IPTV provider converts the media content into packetized digital media streams. The packetized digital media streams are distributed to consumer locations via an IP-based network. Each of the consumer locations includes a consumer device that receives the packetized digital media streams and converts the streams into media content suitable for display on a device such as a television or computer. Because the consumer device communicates with the IPTV provider over the IP-based network, the consumer device can easily transmit data back to the IPTV provider. In other words, the IPTV provider and the consumer device can engage in a two-way communication.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.